Meat Me In Miami

Manny (The Mayor) Diaz was at the grand opening of Manny’s (The Steakhouse) Steakhouse this week in the Met One Tower downtown. Manny’s comes from Minneapolis, and specifically from Phil Roberts, a Minneapolis/Miami resident. It is an extremely well-regarded emporium of beef that serves only USDA-certified dry aged, center-cut beef -- “No bull”. Manny’s has received bullish reviews from everyone from The New York Times to the Independent Cattleman’s Association, and Zagat-rated it as one of the Top 5 Steakhouses in the country -- all of which sways us considerably less than knowledge that Roberts also created The Oceannaire Seafood Room, arguably this city’s premier fish house. Manny’s is currently open for dinner nightly, beginning at 5 p.m.; lunch will likely be launched sometime in the future.

Raphaël Food & More is not a steakhouse, but a Mediterranean-type newcomer at 530 Lincoln Road. Still, it has designated June as “Meat Market Month”, which means guests who order from the menu’s meat section (lamb chops, filet, N.Y. strip, kosher bone-in rib-eye, etc. -- all under $30) receive a complimentary salad drizzled with organic corn oil vinaigrette, a glass of house wine, and an “Aphrodite créme brulee” with fresh mint and pineapple. You’ve got about two weeks left before the deal expires.

Filet mignon of milk fed veal with salsify and morel mushrooms (paired with Volnay 1er Cru, Bernard & Thierry Glantenay, “Santenots”, Burgundy, France, ‘02), and venison loin with sheep milk ricotta gnocchi, asparagus, and port wine mission fig (with Syrah-Grenache, Domaine de la Pertuisane, “Vieilles Vignes”, Roussillon, France, ‘04) will be the two meat courses at Pascal’s on Ponce’s 8th Anniversary Dinner on June 17th. The tasting menu will feature eight small plates in all, with an equal number of wines at a cost of $165 per person. Price includes a musical performance by young mezzo soprano Emelie Dybeck -- chef Pascal Oudin’s niece.

Jose D. Duran has been the associate web editor of Miami New Times since 2008. He's the voice and strategist behind the publication's eyebrow-raising Facebook and Twitter feeds. He has also been reporting on Miami's music, entertainment, and cultural scenes since 2006, previously through sites such as MiamiNights.com and OnBeat.com. He earned his BS in journalism with a minor in art history from the University of Florida. He's a South Florida native and will be a Miami resident as long as climate change permits and the temperature doesn't drop below 60 degrees.